The first site is the American Management Association (http://www.ama.org). The second site is the Society for Human Resource Management (http://www.shrm.org). The third site is the American Society for Training and Development (http://www.astd.org).

All three of these sites have similarities related to the field of Corporate Training Programs. For example, they nearly all have mission statements that address ways in which the global workforce can be improved through training. All of the sites also have memberships available. The striking feature of the memberships is that the individual or professional membership is far more expensive than the student membership, which is also available from all three organizations. While these three sites have many other commonalities (each has publications, each conducts conferences, and each provides opportunities for networking), the focus of each differs. For example, the American Management Association (AMA) seems to focus more on management training, especially project management. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) focuses on traditional human resources training programs like benefits and recruiting. Finally, the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) tends to focus on the latest trends in Corporate Training Programs without emphasizing any one specific field. Because of this lack of emphasis, I found that the ASTD Web site offered me the most amount of information and opportunities for learning. In addition, the ASTD Web site seemed to have more information about trends in Corporate Training Programs.

The Trends

Some of the trends in Corporate Training Programs that seemed to surface from these Web sites include project management, blended learning, e-learning, virtual teams, a globally dispersed workforce, talent management, collaboration, social networking, and training in virtual worlds like Second Life. I personally found many of these trends to be both fascinating and encouraging. For example, I have been teaching project management for several years. As such, I am encouraged to learn that its popularity is on the rise. More specifically, I can see it evolving through the use of blended learning and e-learning. This presents new opportunities for my career in the field of corporate learning. I am also intrigued by the idea of training a globally dispersed workforce and, by extension, virtual teams. Once again, this presents a unique challenge and opportunity for corporate training. As more and more businesses extend their work overseas, virtual teams are becoming a part of daily life in the corporate world. Finally, I am truly fascinated by the use of Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com) by ASTD. They are completely embracing the use of virtual worlds for training. While I have very little experience with Second Life, and I am curious to see how this can help me to improve my own career in corporate training. After this post’s investigation, I will be certain to look more into this new trend (and others) in Corporate Training Programs.

About Author

Scott Fabel is a senior corporate training consultant with Computer Aid, Inc. He has over 18 years of experience working with various Fortune 1000 companies on Help Desk Implementations, Microsoft Technologies, Business Analysis, and Project Management. This includes both consultative services and customized training programs. He is HDI certified, PMP certified, CBAP certified, and a MCT. Scott has been teaching others business skills, professional skills, and technical skills for more than 13 years. He is a faculty fellow at the University of Delaware and is currently pursuing his doctorate in education for which his dissertation will focus on the benefits of corporate training and mobile learning. He speaks three languages and was recently inducted into the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame. His communication skills, combined with his martial art skills, provide him with a unique combination for keeping his sessions informative, lively, and interactive.